Inquisitor Grand Tournament 2012 - March 31st

[Kaled]

Marco - Good work. Did you just sit and work that out by hand, or is there a method that can be coded for different numbers of players/tables? I'll be bringing a computer this year which will help with adding up the scores, but also could be used to calculate this.

Gav - that's a great prize, many thanks.

Finally, in case people missed it in the block of text I posted yesterday - please post here if you plan to attend so I have some idea of numbers - thanks.

EDIT: I've started a list of names in the first post, there were some more people who'd expressed an interest but it was a while ago so I wasn't sure whether they still plan to attend...

[Heroka Vendile]

Turns out it's not as hard as I was treating it as last year. I've not finalised the solutions for numbers of tables other than four, but if you put this sheet out:

Game 1: 1,2,4,13 - 3,6,12,16 - 5,7,8,14 - 9,10,11,15
Game 2: 1,3,11,14 - 2,5,12,15 - 4,7,10,16 - 6,8,9,13
Game 3: 1,5,9,16 - 2,6,10,14 - 7,11,12,13 - 3,4,8,15
Game 4: 1,6,7,15 - 2,8,11,16 - 3,5,10,13 - 4,9,12,14

Then no two players would meet twice, and if there you don't have a player 13, 14, 15 or 16, their missing spaces would never meet each other.

Such a solution can be found for more tables too, although obviously there has to be compromise on people meeting more than once when you go to fewer tables.
[...]
2ND EDIT: "Lowest number who hasn't already GMed" works fine - randomise in the event that it would be 13-16 but they're missing. As an upside, it puts players 13-16 last in the GMing order, giving latecomers a chance to GM.

Small issue that i've highlighted David, following the lowest number who hasn't GMed GMs rule. In the first highlighted set all 4 have already GMed, in the second highlighted set 12 and 14 haven't GMed. So swapping 12 or 14 for any number in the first highlighted set will fix the GM issue in Game 4, no really a massive deal if only 4 people meet twice - at least one of which will probably be GMing this time anyway.

The GMs for your proposal would be:
Game 1: 1 - 3 - 5 - 9
Game 2: 11 - 2 - 4 - 6
Game 3: 16 - 10 - 7 - 8
Game 4: 15 - 16(X) - 13 - 12/14

EDIT:
looking again an easier fix is that in Game 2 player 14 GMs instead of 11, then in Game 4 player 11 GMs instead of 16. saves number swapping and keeps the not meeting people twice in place.

[MarcoSkoll]

Marco - Good work. Did you just sit and work that out by hand, or is there a method that can be coded for different numbers of players/tables?

A bit of both. I manually worked through a possible algorithm with the support of an Excel spreadsheet.

Then, for convenience, I reassigned the numbers so that it was players 13-16 that never met (rather than, originally: 3,6,12 & 13) and swapped over the play order to put their GMing sessions in the second half of the day.

It should be possible to code, but I think it would actually take more time teaching a computer to do it than work through the solutions manually, so I'm inclined towards the "precalculated" answers.

Small issue that I've highlighted David, following the lowest number who hasn't GMed GMs rule.

Well spotted. It was late night when I was working on that, and made a slight mistake. (I did find a solution - what it wasn't, however, was "lowest GMs first")

However, this works:

Game 1: 1,2,4,13 - 3,6,12,16 - 5,7,8,14 - 9,10,11,15
Game 2: 1,3,11,14 - 2,5,12,15 - 4,7,10,16 - 6,8,9,13
Game 3: 1,5,9,16 - 2,6,10,14 - 7,11,12,13 - 3,4,8,15
Game 4: 1,6,7,15 - 2,8,11,16 - 3,5,10,13 - 4,9,12,14

While essentially the same as your second solution, I want to leave numbers #13-16 until after game 3 so that any latecomers can be accounted for. #12 GMs game 2, #2 waits until game 4.

[Heroka Vendile]

of course this assumes we won't have more than 16 players 

[MarcoSkoll]

Yes, but I'm still working on the solutions for other numbers of tables at the moment.

More tables makes it easier. At three tables or less, I think you're best off trying to ensure everyone meets once, and that GMs are assigned to stop people playing together more than once.

[MarcoSkoll]

Still working on the other answers, but swapping over the numbers (so, strictly, the table assignments are identical, I've just changed which players are getting each), I found a particularly elegant 4 table solution which would have players GM in strict player number order:

Game 1: 1,5,9,13 - 2,6,10,14 - 3,7,11,15 - 4,8,12,16
Game 2: 1,7,10,16 - 2,8,9,15 - 3,5,12,14 - 4,6,11,13
Game 3: 1,8,11,14 - 2,7,12,13 - 3,6,9,16 - 4,5,10,15
Game 4: 1,6,12,15 - 2,5,11,16 - 3,8,10,13 - 4,7,9,14

This is important, however, because the renumbering made me realise that I really should have seen before.
Even after four games (and provided you've got 12, 15 or 16 players) there is still one final combination left where nobody would meet twice:

Game 5: 1,2,3,4 - 5,6,7,8 - 9,10,11,12 - 13,14,15,16

I'm almost tempted to do the algorithm proper now, given this shows how much a perfect solution (and it is a perfect solution, as by then everyone would have met exactly once) can show up a pen-and-paper one. People are normally meeting each other again by round three!

[Bloodpact]

Greetings Children of Change!

I shall endeavour to be there again this year, and hopefully go one step further and win! With more than the 2 weeks notice i had last year i shan't have to rely on a MASSIVE spider* to give my game a tasty hook.
I'll try and pay in the next week or so. It does sadly call for a new warband...what a shame...

*Thats not to say he wont appear...

[Kaled]

Excellent - great to see someone who's really going for the win.

I'll add you to the list.

[greenstuff_gav]

i paid
let us know if the address details aren't there

i dunno 'bout winning, actually actively partaking in any game (rather'n my normal "1 action a turn") / score above average points in P&M is on my agenda

[MarcoSkoll]

I've sent money too.

Now all I need to do is start a completely different warband. Bringing the one I've been working on since last year would be exactly what they'd expect me to do.

[Kaled]

Evening all,

Just a gentle reminder that the IGT is in two months time. I've only sold a handful of tickets so far, so there are plenty still available and should be some available to buy on the day.  Just to reiterate though, if you are planning to come along then please let me know so I have some idea of numbers (and I'll add you to the list on the front page).

I plan to bring a laptop this time, which should make the admnistration a lot easier and should free up some of my time, so I may even play a game or two if the players & GMs are happy for me to join in...

- Dave

[Kaled]

Evening all,

Seeing as the thread has gone quiet I thought I'd bump it to remind everyone that they only have about a month to buy an advance ticket for the IGT. So far ticket sales have been a lot slower than last year - if anyone has any ideas as to why that might be or, more importantly, what can be done to get more attendees then I'd be glad to hear them.

I hate to say it, but unless ticket sales pick up in the next month or some people tell me they plan to buy their ticket on the door, then we won't have enough people to make it a viable event.    It's a real shame, seeing as last year we had a really good turnout and all the feedback I got indicated that everyone really enjoyed themselves.

- Dave

[MarcoSkoll]

How odd. We did pretty well for turnout during 2011.

Well, we do know that we've had some rather widespread connection problems to the 'Clave, so that may be partially responsible.
Rauridh also has his shoulder problem that may have a surgery clash with the GT, so I don't know whether he'll be buying in yet...

Is it possible to do a Conclave mailshot and bounce a reminder into everybody's inboxes?
Okay, it's not ideal for the non-UK members, but it might wake up a few of our dormant members.

[greenstuff_gav]

i don't mind doing it but i'd prefer the blessing of the Higher-Ups.. are you there Saussure?

if there isn't enough for the GT, would a Gaming Meet Up be viable? well looking forward to playing Inquisitor...

[Van Helser]

Rauridh also has his shoulder problem that may have a surgery clash with the GT, so I don't know whether he'll be buying in yet...

I have bought and paid for mine regardless - I'm happy for £10 to be added to the prize fund even if I can't make it. Hopefully will have a date set in the next two weeks now that the MRI has been done and I'll be able to confirm my attendance.

Ruaridh